Abstract

Nonlinear two-beam coupling is a simple and basic tool, used in media with a variety of nonlinear mechanisms, in the study of material and light properties, and in many applications. In this work, we discuss a simple effect of coupling or interference-induced transparency (IIT), which takes place when two beams traverse a nonlinear saturable absorber, made of bacteriorhodopsin, in our experimental demonstration. A similar idea was the basis of our recent work,¹ where a saturable absorber in lasers caused line narrowing and single-mode operation. That experiment was done in erbium- doped fiber lasers.

© 1996 Optical Society of America